Fruit-grading machine.



'J. R. NUNAMAKER.

FRUIT GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. 1914.

1, 16?,5 12, Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

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J. R. NUNAMAKER.

FRUiT GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man JUNE 6.1914.

RAW-51%. Patented Ja11.1]., 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WITNESSES. l/V VENTOI? James R Nunama/ver.

' ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co wAsnmmow, u. c

JAMES R. NUNAMAKER, OF HOOD RIVER OREGON.

FRUIT-GRADING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 11, 1916.

Application filed June 6, 1914. Serial No. 843,572.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES R. NUNA- MAKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hood River, Hood River county, State of Oregon, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fruit-Grading Machines of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for grading articles as to size, and is particularly adapted for the grading of apples, oranges or other fruit.

The machine illustrated in this application is particularly designed for grading apples. In apple-growing localities, where the growing of apples is done on a large scale, mechanical apple graders are required. Skilled Sorters first grade the apples as to quality, to eliminate the undesirable apples, after which the remaining apples are delivered to the size-grading machine. The latter will then segregate the apples into lots of uniformly varying sizes, delivering these lots to different bin; on the packing tables.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide an automatic machine of this character which will perform the sizegrading operation accurately and swiftly and which will be compact in size and eco nomical in construction.

To this end my machine comprises an endess traveling carrier, trays included in such carrier, a series of graduated yielding brushes arranged longitudinally of the carrier, and receivers located relatively to the respective brushes to receive the articles as swept oil the trays by the brushes operating progressively.

Other features of my invention are hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device; Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail of construction.

The longitudinal parallel side frame members, a, are mounted on the legs, I), and cross braces, 0, space said side members fixedly apart. A central member cl extends midway between the side members, a, being supported on the braces c. The upper surfaces of the frame members, a, and the central member 6!, lie in the same horizontal plane. Fixed on the inner sides of the frame members, a, are members a, which form a trackway for the endless earner elements 6. Journaled 1n the front and rear legs, 6,

of the machine are shafts, 7, upon which are fixed the sprockets or pulleys g. A pulley it fixed on the end of one of the shafts f is connected to a pulley, i, by a belt j, the pulley i being driven directly from some source of power, such as a gasolene or electric motor, or if such power is not available, hand power may be substituted. Endless carrier chains or belts, 0, run over the sprockets or pulleys 9, being connected at intervals by pairs of crossanembers 7c, upon which are mounted the apple bearing trays m. The cross members, is, are adapted to run on the members, a, (l, so as to maintain the trays, m, in a horizontal plane as they travel along the machine.

A chute n is arranged at the delivery end of the machine to take care of any apples that may be carried to that end. and aprons, 0, 79, are arranged under the body of the machine, being, made fast to the central member, 6!, so as to conduct the apples that fall in the aprons to opposite sides of the machine. The aprons are divided along their lengths by the partitions, 0, 79, each of the resulting compartments being adapted to receive and deliver apples of approximately the same size.

The trays m are made with a smooth concaved portion slightly inclined toward one end (see Fig. 3) so that the apple resting thereon will easily roll off when subjected to a slight push. The trays are made fast to one of the parallel cross pieces in and rest upon the other. This allows said trays to pass readily over the curve of the sprocket wheels without binding. The trays are located on either side of the central member, (Z, and the sorters place one grade of fruit on the right hand trays and another grade on the left hand trays. \Vhen the pulley IL is driven clockwise, the endless carrier will move in the direction indicated by the arrow A, and the apples will be carried forward through the machine.

The means for grading the apples as to size are embodied in the following parts: Parallel truss frames r built up on the side members, a, are spaced apart by the cross braces 8. Longitudinal members, 23, connected by cross pieces u form a frame structure adapted to be suspended from cross braces, s, of the trusses 1'. Eye-bolts u are fixed in-the cross pieces u and hook bolts 8 bolted through the cross braces. s, are engaged With said eye-bolts u. Wingnuts 8 permit the adjustment of the hook bolts 8 as to length. Screw-eyes t are fixed in the lower side of the members t, and brushmembers a, of uniform size, provided With hook-eyes r in their upper sides, are pivotally suspended in parallel alinement from the members If. The cross pieces a are provided with cut-away portions 1& and a 1011- gitudinal member w, resting on the pendent brush members 1;, is confined Within such cut-away portion n Straps w, connecting the brush members o with the member to, prevent any longitudinal displacement of the latter. The member to is used for the purpose of preventing vibration of the brush members 1), at the same time offering a slight resistance to movements of the latter. In p'actice, the hock-bolts s are so adjusted that the rear ends of the members, 8, will be lower than the front ends. The brush members, n, being spaced equi-distantly apart, will present a uniformly graduated line of resistance to the passage of the apples beneath them. The larger apples will be brushed off their respective trays by contact with the first members, 1), and Will drop into the apron beneath, while the smaller apples will be carried farther along until they contact with other members, 21, the distance traveled being in proportion to their size. The contact edges of the members, 1), may be rounded off and padded if desired, to insure against injury to the apple.

I claim:

1. A grading machine comprising an endless traveling carrier, trays included in such carrier, said trays having an inclined supporting face, a series of graduated brushes arranged longitudinally of the carrier, and receivers located relatively to the respective brushes.

2. A grading machine comprising an endless traveling carrier, trays included in such carrier, said trays having an inclined supporting face, a series of graduated yielding brushes arranged longitudinally of the carrier, and receivers located relatively ,to the respective brushes.

3. In a grading machine comprising an endless traveling carrier, and trays included in such carrier, a frame arranged longitudinally of the carrier, a series of graduated brushes hinged pendent to the frame, and means imposing a yielding hold on the tops of the brushes to thereby hold the latter pendent, normally.

4:. In a grading machine comprising an endless traveling carrier, and trays included in such carrier, a frame arranged longitudinally of the carrier, a series of graduated brushes hinged pendent to the frame, and a Weight vertically movable in said frame and imposed on the tops of said brushes to thereby hold the latter pendent, normally.

5. In a grading machine an endless traveling carrier, and trays included in such carrier, said trays having an inclined supporting face, and a series of graduated swinging brushes arranged longitudinally of the carrier, means for yieldingly holding the brushes pendent.

JAMES R. NUNAMAKER.

WVitnesses:

C. D. NICKELSEN, JOHN BAKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

